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The rules are few: Use 99% fresh ingredients (or thereabouts); make the dish simple but flavorful; make the dish flavorful but simple; be creative, not silly.

With this blog, I want to share new recipes, along with tips on ingredients and preparation, and, hopefully, show new cooks (and non-cooks) the pleasure in setting the table with a delicious homemade meal. The Briny Lemon is about fresh, simple, flavorful ingredients and easy cooking methods that help you bring the best to your family table. Your comments are welcome!

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Pan-Roasted Game Hens with Lemon and Leeks

I love game
hens. Eating and cooking them.
Despite the name, these little chickens are not game birds—they’re just baby
broilers. And the meat is exceptionally tender and juicy. I think pan roasting
is one of the best methods of bringing out the succulent flavor of the hens.
Which, by the way, are not necessarily female, again despite the name. Another
misnomer for this tasty little bird.

Here, I
used lemon—both juice and zest—along with leeks to complement the chicken.
Roasted leeks have a wonderfully deep, caramelized flavor that pairs well with
the slight tanginess of the lemon. That said, I used the leeks mostly to add a
little earthy, oniony flavor to the dish. If you want to use them as more of a
side dish, you may want to cut them into smaller pieces.

Note: One game hen serves two people, so
if you don’t want to cook them whole and carve later, see the directions and
photos below for easy steps in preparing them first.

Combine the
garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon rosemary
in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Rinse
the hens thoroughly and pat dry. Using kitchen shears, remove the tail and any
excess skin and fat.

Lay
the hens breast-side down on a work surface. Cut along each side of the
backbones and remove them. Cut through the center of the breastbones to divide
each hen in half.

Place
a wire rack in a large, rimmed baking sheet and place the hen halves on it.
Loosen the skin and rub the garlic mixture over the meat beneath it. Use any leftover to
rub on the outside of the skin. Refrigerate 2-4 hours. Let stand at room temperature
30 minutes before continuing.

Rinse and pat dry

Cut along the backbone of the trimmed hen

Remove backbone

Cut through the breast to halve

Rub with marinade

Preheat
the oven to 375° F.

Combine
the chicken broth, lemon juice, remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and remaining
1 teaspoon rosemary in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook 3 minutes
and remove from the heat. Set aside.

Heat
a large (at least 15-inch) ovenproof skillet, preferably cast-iron, over
medium-high heat and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.

Season
the hens with salt and pepper and place skin-side down in the skillet. Cook,
without turning, until the skin just begins to brown, 5 minutes.

Spoon
2 tablespoons broth mixture over the hens and place the skillet in the oven.
Roast 20 minutes.

Remove
the skillet from the oven and turn the hens skin-side up. Scatter the leeks
around them and spoon another 2 tablespoons of the broth mixture over all. Roast
until the hens’ skin is golden brown and the meat is cooked through, 20-25 minutes
longer. Remove from
the oven and let rest 5 minutes.

Chicken Broth Mixture

Hens Beginning to Sear

Ready to Roast

Halfway Through

Leeks Added

Plate the hens and leeks, spooning the remaining
broth mixture over all.

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About Me

I'm an editor for a university marketing department and an avid home cook. I love creating recipes to share, and since I cook nearly every day, my resources are plentiful. I've published more than 650 recipes and food articles online.